Post-office furniture



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. M. MORRIS.

POST OFFICE FURNITURE. No. 395,989. Patented Jan. 8, 1889.

WITNESSES I l I I ,1 v 5 W .Attorneyd,

N4 PETERS. Phmo-Lillwgnphur, Washingtwk D. Q

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.1

(No Model.) J. M. MORRIS.

I POST OFFICE FURNITURE. No. 395,989. Patented Jan. 1889.

' N. FETERS, Phmo-lilhogrlpher, washi a aaaa c UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MARION MORRIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

POST-OFFICE FU RNITU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,989, dated January 8, 1889. Application filed September 15, 1888. Serial No. 285,475. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MARION MoRRIs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Oflice Furniture; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to post-office furniture.

The object is to produce a removable compartment for use in post-offices, the said compartment being designed to contain the lockboxes, lock-drawers, stamp-oflice, mail-bags, and other post-office paraphernalia, so that should the office containing the same catch on fire all of the mail matter, together with other valuable material usually contained in postofficcs, may readily be removed in a short space of time, and at the same time without the danger of any of the said material becoming lost while being remoyed, and all without undue complication of parts or expense of n'oduction.

lleretofore in post-offices, more especially those used in small towns and villages, the arrangement of the post-office furniture is such that should a fire break out in the building containing the same a very large loss would inevitably follow, from the fact that, it would be impossible to remove the mail matter, or only a small portion of it, before the flames would drive all persons from the building. It is the object of this invention to overcome these obstacles in a simpleand effective manner by placing that part of the postoffice furniture which is designed to contain the more valuable portion of the mail, an d also th e lock-boxes and lock-drawers, upon rollers or casters, and so placing the compartment in a room that, should a fire break out from any cause, by simply det achin hooks which hold the device in place on the floor the entire compartment may be folded and removed at a safe distance from the building without the least possibility of any loss of mail matter following its removal.

\Vith these objects in view the invention consists in a frame-work mounted upon rollers, the said frame-work containing the lockboxes and lock-drawers on the sides and the opening in which the mail matter is deposited at one end, and suitable windows from which the mail may be delivered, and at the other end the compartments for containing the mail-bags, registered letters, and other mail matter.

Furthermore, the invention consists in the various novel details of construction, as will be hereinafter more fully described in the specification, illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, showing the same opened and ready for use, the delivery-boxes, lock-boxes, and mail-bag compartments being shown at one end; and Fig. 2 shows the same folded and ready to be removed from the building.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the device, consisting of two side wings, B, the corner wings, O, and end wing, C. These wings may be constructed in the usual manner in which post-office furniture is made.that is, with a wooden frame-work re-enforced by iron frames for containing the lock-boxes D and the lock-drawers E. The corner win gs,C, are provided with windows 0, through which the general-delivery mail is distributed, one window being designed for the use of females and the other for the use of males. The end window, 0, is provided with the usual slots, through which the mail matter to be delivered is deposited, and immediately above these compartments is placed a box, F, which is designed to contain the rope or chain which is to be used when the device is to be removed by attaching the same to aring,f, secured to the lower part of the said end portion. The corner wings are hinged to the side wings, as shown at G, and the end wings hinged to the corner wings in the same manner, so that when the device is to be folded and removed it has the appearance illustrated in Fig. 2.

Along the inner side of the side wings, B, is arranged, one on each side, a shelf, H, which extends nearly the entire length of the device and is of sufficient width to meet a similar one on the opposite side, so that when the device is folded no mail matter could possibly fall to the floor, and when opened these shelves are used by the employs in distributing the mail. At the point where these shelves terminate is tormed a room or compartment, II, into which the mail-bags are placed, pretera bly by suspending them to the sides of the side wings, one com 'iartment being on each side. Thus the mail-bags will be held in place against falling or being left behind in case of an accident.

'hen the device is placed in an ottice, a llt'tl'tll lOll, I, is to be built back of it and on one side of the same, to which the removable device is attached by means of a hook, i, or other suitable fastening device, the said par ti'tion being provided with a door, 1 which leads to the ot'tice. The other partition, J, is hinged to the main frame and swings in and closes the compartment tightly at the end when the device is to be removed, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the other partition being left behind. The partition .I may be employed as a money-order, stamp, or registered-letter window, or for any other desired purpose, and is provided with shelf j, on which the said matter may be distributed.

To the bottom of the frame are secured a number of casters or rollers, K, designed to facilitate the renmval oi the device; but in order to cause the frame-work to remain stationary at all times a number of hooks, L, are

secured to the frame-work and engage staples a )I, driven in the floor. Thus, when the device is to be removed, it is only necessary to unhook the hooks L and *1, close the side portions together and the end portion, .I, over the end, and the entire frame-work may be drawn out of the ot'tice by n'ieans ot' the rope N.

It is to be understood that I do not confine myself strict lyto the construct ion, illustrated and described herewith, but may depart widely from the parts, as it may be found necessary in practice, solong as the idea of a folding and removable POSl-(lilltt mail department; be re tained.

Ilavingthus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A folding and removable post-ot'tice compartment consistingo't' a frame-work containing lock boxes and drawers in the sides, suitable openings through which to deposit the mail matter, openii'igs through which the mail may be delivered, and compartments for consame in the matter of the 1 construction and arrangement of the various i taining the 1nailbags, registered letters, and other mail matter, substantially as described.

2. A folding and removable post-oflice c0mpartment consisting of a folding end, sides hinged to the said end, and an end hinged to one of the said sid es and adapted to be swung out at right angles to the said side, substantially as described.

In a folding and removable post-oliice compartment consisting of the side wings provided with the lock-boxes and the lock-drawers, the corner wings provided with the delivery-windows and the end wing provided with suitable openings in which to deposit mail to be delivered, substantially as described.

4. In a folding and removable post-ottice compartment, the combination, with the side wings, of the shelves ll, secured thereto and designed to meet each other when the device is folded to prevent any mail matter falling to the tloor, substantially as described.

In a folding and removable post-otlice compartment, the combination, with the side wings provided with shelves ll, of the end wing, J, provided with the shelf j, substantially as described.

t5. In a folding and removable post-otliee compartment, the combination,with the hoti tom of the device, of the casters secured thereto and designed to facilitate its removal, sub- 1 stantially as described.

, 7. In a folding and removable post-otliee com jiartment, the combination, with the botl tom portion provided with casters, of the hooks designed to engage staples inv the floor i to hold the device stationary, substantially as described.

1 b. In a folding and removable post-ollice compartment, the combination, with the end i wing, of a box secured thereto and designed to contain the rope or chain to be used when i the device is to be removed from the building, substantially as described.

9. In a folding and removable post-otl'iee r compartment, the col'nbination,with the side i wings provided with suitable eonipartments to serve as lock-boxes and lock-drawers, oithe compartment designed for the reception ot' the until-bags, substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto attixed my signature in presence (if two witnesses.

l .IOI IN MARION MOI Rib. l l

\V it] l esses:

WuiLiAn S. \Vimmno, Janus KILDUN. 

